Oh, Death
by lottielovebuzz
Summary: Hester was a Slytherin. She wasn't a Death Eater wannabe; didn't care about someone else's blood, especially when she wasn't a Pureblood herself. She only cared about her brother and her own safety, and she's willing to do whatever it takes, such as side with Sirius Black and, later, The Order to ensure it. Marauder Era. Sirius Black/OC
1. Chapter I: Similar in Someways

_**Hello! Now, some of you may know me from my old Sirius/OC fic "Echoes Down the Stream". If you do, do not worry! I'm still working on it and it will be reposted sometime soon! But this story means a lot to me as well, so I wanted to post it. **_

_**Now, a bit about the story. Yes, this will be a Sirius/OC story. Yes, my OC is in Slytherin. Yes, my OC will have all the traits to be placed in Slytherin, but no, that does not automatically mean she's bad. My OC has a younger brother and some bad issues at home, and if you dare tell me it's unrealistic... well, you'll see what will happen. **_

_**Also, the title comes from the song, my personal favourite version is Jen Titus' one from Supernatural. It has a little to do with the storyline, but mostly I just love the song and it was what kinda inspired me for this, so it seemed applicable. My OC, is portrayed by Rachel Miner, who is a babe, btw.**_

_**I'm in the process of writing the second chapter, and hopefully it won't be long before I update again. Especially when the two titles go perfectly. ;p**_

_**Disclaimer for entire story - I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER! **_

_**Now, onto the story because I do not want to keep you waiting any longer! :D**_

* * *

**Oh, Death.**

**Chapter I: Similar in Someways...**

**_31st August 1977; Milton Household, London; 12:05 AM._**

It's hard to hear her loud sigh as Hester folds another robe and places it into her trunk. Especially over the shouting and bawling and screaming that's going on downstairs. It's surprising, really, that none of the neighbours have been around, telling them that it's midnight and they shouldn't be making this much noise; people have to be up early for work. But Hester knows that would never happen. No one knows just what it is about the Milton's, but they know_ something _is different, and that's all that matters.

They wouldn't come near their house with a ten-foot barge-pole. They wouldn't come near their house if the Devil himself told them to.

Another robe is folded and placed in the trunk, beside the blouses, skirts and jumpers she had packed earlier, and she picks up another one, her fingers tracing over the green fabric on the edge, before they caress the crest with the snake and the words "Slytherin" embroidered into the chest.

She goes to fold it but a loud crash from downstairs distracts her, and it slides from her grasp, pooling on the floor as her head whips around to the door.

A good child tries to fix it. A better child stays out the way but will comfort them when needed. A child like Hester let's them get on with it and sometimes gets roped in if they say the right things. But tonight wasn't one of those nights; tonight when they started up, she grabbed her brother's hand and took him to his room, tucked him in and stayed until he was calm enough and drifting off to sleep.

They're gaining in volume and violence, though, and Hester worries that they've woken him up. But after a moment, there is no stirring from the room next door, so she sighs again and goes back to packing.

She's finished with her robes and moving on to her wrapping up her green and silver scarf when a small, almost hesitant knock comes at her door.

Hester tucks the scarf in one corner of her trunk and turns to see her brother opening the door and quickly shutting it behind him as if he's scared of being caught.

'Jack? You okay?' She questions and when her little brother shakes his head twice, before running over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, she bites the inside of her mouth to stop her from disentangling herself from him and going down to her "parents" to tell them off for upsetting him. Again.

Instead, she wraps her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her and smiling when his forehead presses against her breastbone. She tilts her head down and presses a kiss to his hair, reaching up with one hand to brush her fingertips through his light brown hair that was so different from her dark brown hair. Softer, shorter than her own.

'Come on, Jack. You shouldn't let them get to you.' She declares, leaning down until her cheek is pressed into his hair, resting there as her brother holds her tighter and shakes his head softly. 'You're the brave warrior, aren't you?'

He doesn't answer straight away, so Hester lifts her head and leans back so she can tuck two fingers under his chin and tilt his head upwards, forcing him to meet her gaze. And even his eyes were different from hers; his blue eyes clash with her brown ones and she smirks down at him.

'Aren't you?'

He gives a small huff before nodding his head and her smirk widens.

'Good boy.'

She keeps one arm around his shoulder as she leads him over to the bed where they sit down next to Hester's trunk. Jack looks at it sadly and she bumps her shoulder against his, removing her arm from his shoulders and taking his hand instead.

'Don't get that look, mister, you're going this year too. No need to be sad. You'll finally get away from…' She trails off with a nod towards the door and he winces. She squeezes his hand and smiles when he squeezes back.

'You looking forward to going?'

He turns his head, and he doesn't answer her, just stands and moves so he's standing in front of her trunk. He doesn't touch anything, and Hester knows why, it's nice and neat and he doesn't like mess. He likes organisation; routine, but when something catches his eye, he grasps ahold of her hand and gives a tug before pointing at the crest of the Slytherin House, he then turns to Hester and quirks an eyebrow.

'That's my House. Slytherin House. It gets a bad rep for being full of evil people, but whatever.' She finishes with a shrug, lifting her eyes from the emblem on her robe and turns back to Jack, who's looking at her with a furrowed brow. When he meets her gaze, he adamantly shakes his head.

'I'm not bad?' She chuckles. 'I know. Just selfish I suppose, and so many people equate that to badness nowadays.'

She chuckles once more when Jack shakes his head again.

'I'm not selfish, either? Well, I think we'll just agree to disagree on that one, Jack.'

Another loud shout sounds from downstairs, followed by a loud crash and the distinct sound of the front door slamming shut. Even though her brother was shaking, quivering in fear, Hester rose from the bed and moved over to the window, looking out just in time to see her mother enter their car and pull out of the driveway, before speeding down the street.

She walks back over to Jack, pulling him into another hug and pressing another kiss to his hair as the sound of boots clumping against stairs reverberate around the now silent house.

A moment later, the door creaks open and Jack flinches ever closer to Hester, arms tightening around her waist and unwilling to let go or look up.

'Everything all right?' Their father questions, and Hester notes, as she lifts her head from its resting place on her brother's, that he looks tired and exhausted, but despite this, she has little sympathy for him. Lost that sympathy three years ago after… she shakes her head minutely to get that thought from her head.

'Screw you.'

'Hester…' Rupert Milton starts, but Hester silences him with a glare and a hand that's inching towards her wand.

'Do not "Hester" me. I have played nice, I have played nasty, now I am just done playing. You and _her _can stay away from him or there'll be hell to pay.'

'I am still your father, Hester. You still live under my roof.'

Hester chuckles, 'Last time I checked, Grandma left the house to _me_. And you lost the right to that title three years ago. Now leave, before I make you.'

It's almost as if her father doesn't need to be told twice, and he heaves a sigh before he slowly backs out of the room, leaving Hester and Jack alone.

She doesn't move until her brother stops shaking and loosens his grip around her waist.

'Jack,' she presses a kiss to the top of his head once again, before she reaches up to card her fingers through his light brown locks. 'It's okay, darling. Now, come on, back to bed. It's getting late and we've got a big day tomorrow, don't we?'

She feels him nod against her chest, but when he makes no move to go back through to his bedroom, Hester sighs.

'Jack,' she starts and he immediately drops his arms from around her waist with a small, almost inaudible sigh. He looks up at her with his beautiful bright blue eyes and she purses her lips, 'Yeah, I know I said I wouldn't use my "mother" voice on you again, but you need to sleep, young man.'

He sighs again before nodding and turns to head for the door, but the second he reaches it and realises that Hester isn't following him, he turns to her with a raised eyebrow.

'I'm coming, Jack. Just getting,' she pauses as she leans down to examine her bookshelf, and when she spots the book, she turns to him with a wide smile, '_this_!'

A wide smile breaks onto Jack's face as he studies the plain green cover and the golden letters: _The Hobbit, or There and Back Again._

'Come on. We'll read a chapter, or until you fall asleep. You can never last a full chapter anyway.' She places her hand on his back and steers him from her room into his own, and smiles softly when she notices how perfectly organised everything is. How all the items on his desk are perfectly aligned and spaced equally apart. How the content of his trunk have been packed with so much care and concentration that Hester feels her heart clench.

'Go and wash up.' She gently gives him a shove in the direction of his bathroom, and whilst she knows that he's already prepared himself for bed; washed and brushed his teeth, she knows that he won't settle unless he does it again. Order and routine, that's what Jack likes; what he needs.

After a moment - which Hester knew was exactly one minute and twenty-three seconds - Jack returns from his bathroom and pulls back the covers and slides under them. He throws the covers over himself and gets comfortable, and Hester climbs on to the mattress beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders before opening the book to the first page.

'_In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit…_'

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Hester slowly slides off the bed, carefully detangling herself from her little brother before padding towards the door.

'Night, Jack.' She whispers softly before she closes the door behind her and heads back to her own room. She places a bookmark into the book in place of her thumb and goes to return it to her bookshelf, but after a moment of hesitation, she places it into her trunk because chances are she'll need to read it to him when they get to Hogwarts.

She then picks up her remaining items and slowly starts to place them into her trunk, finishing her packing before they have to leave tomorrow.

She closes her trunk and fastens it before she hauls it off her bed and sits it next to her desk.

She regards the clock and winces when she notices that it reads _2:57 AM_.

But instead of going to her bed, Hester sits down on the seat at her desk and lets her head fall back. She closes her eyes and lets out a shaky breath.

When she reopens her eyes, her clock reads _3:00 AM _and she groans. Her eyes focus on the only photograph that sits on her table, and she reaches over to grab ahold of the frame. She lifts it so it's directly in front of her face, and Hester smiles softly when she brushes her finger tip over her grandma's face. Her finger then moves over to stroke the small, bubbly face of Jack and she notes with fondness that he was only seven years old in the photo.

Her eyes finally fall on her own face and her finger reaches out to brush over it, because it seems like such a long time ago. She can't really remember the last time she smiled that wide, or the last time it reached her eyes when she did. A little girl of only fourteen years old, with no idea what was going to crash through the door six months later.

With another shaky breath, she sets the photo back onto her desk and with the same hand, reaches up to finger the locket that her grandma gave her. Her fingertips gently rub over the ruby stone and she's tempted to unclasp the lock and look at the photo inside it but she decides against it, letting it drop back against her chest with a soft thud.

Her eyes flick back over to the door, and a part of her is tempted to go through and share a bed with Jack, like they used to do before Hester left for Hogwarts and they both got used to sleeping in their own bed. Sometimes they still do it, but only when Jackgets so worked up that only the promise of a quiet reading session is enough to calm him down.

Hester wanders back over to her bed and strips down to her underwear, and after tugging her pyjamas on, she slides under the covers, but she knows she won't be falling asleep any time soon.

A deep pit of nausea is settling in her stomach, and she twists and turns, trying to ignore it but it doesn't go away. She feels like she's swallowed a thousands stones and she knows exactly what's causing the heaviness; this feeling of unsettledness.

Jack and Hogwarts.

She's not sure how the hell they're going to get on, how everyone else is going to treat him, and the very idea that the place that's a sanctuary to her could be hell for her brother is making her feel uneasy. And it's not just that. This is her last year at Hogwarts, after this year, he's going to have to go through another six all by himself, and whilst Hester knows her brother is strong and brave, she's not sure if he can deal with that amount of pressure.

She rolls over again so she's lying on her back, and her hand reaches up and grips her locket in a death hold.

Her eyes find her clock again and she groans and throws her free arm over her eyes when she notices that it's now _3:47 AM._

'Go to sleep, you idiot.' She hisses into the quietness and darkness of her room, but she can't. She tells herself that she needs to get up to catch the train to go to Hogwarts in only four hours, but even that does nothing.

By the time she falls asleep, the headlights from her mother's car have appeared and disappeared; she's heard her come inside and go to her bedroom and she's seen her alarm clock change from _3:47 AM to 5:04 AM._

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

'I am _so _tired.' Hester declares as they land in a secluded alley just beside the train station. She keeps ahold of his hand even as they push their cart (which Hester had stolen from the station earlier and had set up a moment before they Apparated to the spot, so she didn't have to leave Jack alone in the dingy alley).

Jack gives her hand a sympathetic squeeze and she just smiles softly at him.

'I'm surprised you didn't want an animal, Jack. You like animals; well, dogs.'

He turns to her and gives her a look as if to say that explains everything.

'So, you only like dogs? Not cats or owls or toads? Just dogs? Gosh, Jack, didn't realise you're a fussy little sod.'

He gives a huff to let Hester know that he's not happy with her at the moment, and Hester just giggles. But it's cut short when they enter the train station and she feels her brother's fingers tighten around hers.

'Shh, you're okay, Jack. I'm right here.'

His hold doesn't loosen but he lets out a short breath and nods his head.

She pushes her trolley through the train station, glad when people move out of the way for them because it's a bit hard to steer a heavy cart that held two large, heavy trunks on it, as well as a small cage with a pure black cat inside it.

But she stops short when she reaches the wall that would take them onto Platform 9 and 3/4s. Hester turns her head, looking down at her brother and squeezing his hand again just to give him that bit of encouragement.

'Ready?'

He looks hesitant, but after a moment where he just swallows hard; swallows down his fear and he nods his head and without any other word, Hester breaks into a run with the cart and heads for the brick wall between platforms nine and ten.

Both of them close their eyes just before they reach the brick wall, but any collision that they feared doesn't happen, and as soon as Hester knows that they're on the real platform, she digs her heels and slows them down before they got crashing into someone else.

Platform 9 and 3/4s was always busy but in the end, everyone knew better than to stand too close to the "door", so luckily, the chances of crashing into someone were pretty slim. For that Hester was glad, she didn't know how Jack would react if they went tumbling into someone else's cart and ended up on the floor in a heap.

They head over to the train, and Hester looks down to see her brother looking at it in awe.

'It's gorgeous, isn't it?'

Jack absentmindedly nods his head and Hester just smirks crookedly as she finds one of the porters and gives him the trunks after lifting her cat's cage from atop of them. He waves his wand and suddenly the jump from the trolley into the storage of the train and Hester turns back to Jack.

'Come on. We'll find Christine and then find a compartment, okay?'

She doesn't give Jack any chance to protest, because she knew that he would if she did. He had never met Christine, just heard Hester talk about her, and whilst she sounded like a nice person, that didn't mean she would be. After all, Jack knew his sister was sometimes a bad judge of character.

But he follows her because there is no one else he can turn to, and when they climb aboard a carriage and Hester makes her way through the crowds with ease, he realises that he's going to have to learn from her, because after this year, she's not going to be here to do it for him.

Jack is so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn't register that his sister has stopped walking until it's too late and he's already walked into her back. She snaps her head around to regard him, squeezing his hand once before turning back to whatever stopped her in the first place.

Jack peeks out from behind her and sees four boys. Two were standing directly in front of Hester, blocking her path, but the other two were standing further back; one of those boys looked annoyed at his friends, and he had three scars running from his right temple to his left chin, right over his nose. The other was short, stumpy and eagerly looking between the two boys in front of him as if looking for orders.

Jack's gaze finally landed on the two boys and the first one that took his attention was the tallest of the two; he had black messy hair and glasses, but he only paid a short attention to him, because after looking back to his sister, she found her gaze was focused solely on the last one.

He had long, black hair, some of which fell into his eyes and it wasn't curly, but it didn't sit perfectly straight either. His eyes were a _peculiar _shade of grey, and there was just _something _about him that had Jack feeling full of awe, but also a bit of fear.

'Oh splendid. Just what I needed to start my year, the four asses of Hogwarts.' Hester mutters, but Jack notices how her eyes don't leave the one with grey eyes. 'Here's an idea, why don't you step aside and let me get on my way? Maybe I'll start to believe in chivalry again.'

But of course, they don't move, and Hester knew they wouldn't. Her hand holding her cat's cage twitches and she wishes she was like Jack and didn't want an animal so she could go for her wand, but the movement manages to draw their attention to her other hand that's got a smaller hand in its grasp. All four set of eyes land on Jack and he gulps and takes a step to the side, putting himself behind Hester once more.

'Great, just what we need another Milton running around.'

Hester bristles.

'Watch it, Black. I thought the same about your brother, and Regulus is a splendid human being. Shame; he used to speak so highly of you, but then you ran away and wow, it was amazing how quick you fell off his pedestal.'

Sirius reaches for his wand and points it at Hester, but when he notices the way her younger brother grimaces and tucks himself closer to his sister, he lowers it with a small frown on his face.

'You know nothing of my family, Milton.'

'And you know nothing of mine! Once again, you are just showing how shallow minded you Gryffindors really are.'

Without any warning, she starts moving again and barges past them, knocking her shoulders into their arms to get them out of the way, but she notices that as her brother comes through they step away and give him plenty of room. And whilst with anyone else she'd comment on that, she's not going to do it with those two.

Absolutely not.

She finds Christine and Rufus in their compartment a moment later, and the second she's sat the cage and let her cat, Morgana (she was eleven and fascinated with the witch, what can she say?) out of her cage, she sits down and pulls Jack down with her.

The door slides shut behind them and Hester turns to Christine with a wide smile on her face.

'I still stand by my belief that you're too innocent looking to be a Slyterin, 'Tine.' Hester greets and Christine just rolls her eyes.

'For someone that's seen me pissed off so often, I still don't know why you believe that; you _know _how scary I can be when I'm mad.' Christine retorts and Hester just shrugs her shoulders as she brushes her thumb across Jack's knuckles before slowly pulling her hand free. She flexes her fingers, clenching and unclenching her hand a couple of times before resting it on her thigh.

Rufus looks at the young boy once, sending him a gentle smile before his eyes land on Hester, who just rolls her eyes at him, causing him to grin.

'So, I'm guessing you're Jack?' Christine says and after a small moment, where his eyes flicker over to Hester who gives him an encouraging smile, he meets Christine's blue eyes and nods once, before looking away, down to the black cat that was brushing up against his legs.

Christine bites her lower lip and looks to Hester for guidance, but Hester just shakes her head, before she reaches across and wraps her arm around her brother's shoulder.

After all, she knew better than anyone that if Jack wanted to be left alone, it was best just to leave him alone.

So, with this in mind and to stop Christine from pressuring him, she says, 'How was your summer?'

And in return, she gets a gentle pat on her thigh as thanks.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

'I promise you'll be okay, Jack. You'll go through those big doors, walk down the aisle to the front, they go alphabetically, so you'll be waiting a small while but after that, you'll sit on a stool and have the Hat placed on your head and it'll tell you what House you'll be a part of. Chances are it'll be Slytherin. Houses tend to run in families, you see, so if I'm a Slytherin, you'll be a Slytherin. After that, you come and sit by my side and everything will be fine.'

They stop at the doors with the rest of the First Years and McGonagall gives her a look once she's finished talking and Hester sighs. She reaches up and ruffles his hair.

'You'll be fine.'

'Ms. Milton, I understand this is hard for him but we need to get a move on.' Professor McGonagall informs and Hester bites her lip and nods her head.

She gives her brother a smile before making her way through the doors which close behind her again. Pretty much everyone turns to look at her, thinking that the First Years were finally coming, but when they see it's just Hester, the look disappointed and turn back to their friends.

Hester goes straight for the Slytherin table and sits beside Christine, her eyes still trained on the doors that Jack will be coming through soon.

'He'll be fine.' Christine whispers the second the doors fly open and the small group of First Years come pouring into the Great Hall.

As Hester told Jack, there's a wait before Jack's name is called and he shakily climbs onto the stool, and Hester's breath stops when he flinches when the Hat is placed on top of his head. But when he doesn't do anything else, she lets out the shaky breath she had been holding and listens to the Hat's ramblings.

'Ah, Jack Milton. Your sister, Hester, is in Slytherin. Yes, she fits in well with Slytherin, but you, you are different.' The Hat says and Hester's breath gets caught in her throat again because that can only mean one thing; that means that…

'Better be GRYFFINDOR!' The Hat exclaims and even as the Gryffindor table explodes with its new arrival, and even as her brother hesitantly makes his way over to take a seat, she can't help the crushing feeling that's settling on her shoulders and on her chest, because it means her worst nightmare has come true.

And she's not sure how to deal with it.

Or if she _can _deal with it.

* * *

_**Jack being placed in Gryffindor is really important, so I wanted to do it in the very first chapter. The next one will show Hester's reaction to that, because as you can see already, Hester is really protective of her brother. **_

_**Please review and let me know what you think! This is so different from my other Sirius/OC story and I want to know if you enjoy it as well! So, please, PLEASE review and let me know your thoughts!**_

_**I also have a Facebook page and tumblr incase you wanted to like/follow those for updates/face characters/sneak peeks. The links are on my profile page incase you are interested. It would mean the world to me! ;D**_

_**Until the next update!**_

_**~Charlotte.x**_


	2. Chapter II: Different in Others

_**Hello! I'm back with a new chapter for this story! Now, before we go onto it, I need to make an announcement for this one.**_

_**T**_**_his will be the last update until after November. I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year and having that, plus my college work is already seeming to much, never mind adding still writing these stories. So, yeah. I feel a little bit bad because I've only just posted this, but I hope you understand and I'll be back as soon as the 30th November ends. If I'm doing anything, I'll be planning this story out more, but probably - most definitely, in fact - won't be writing it. _**

**_Okay, so now that's been said: onto the chapter!_**

* * *

**Chapter II: ...Different in Others.**

Hester stares as she watches her brother move from the front of the Hall, down to the table, placing himself between some boy that Hester didn't know and Sirius Black. She watches as the boy that had always been a thorn in her side claps her brother on his shoulder with a smile, and even though she's a table away, she can see the confusion in his eyes. She's still staring when Sirius turns around and meets her gaze, raising an eyebrow at her and that's when it finally hits her. She's just like him in this sense. The younger brother that ended in the house they wished he never ended up in.

'No.' She whispers softly as she shakes her head slowly, watching as her brother turns his head and his timid blue eyes land on her and Hester's gaze shifts from Sirius' to her brother's.

'Are you okay, Hester?' Rufus questions, turning his head away from the Sorting for a moment to regard his friend, a strand of his light brown hair falling into his eyes as he does.

'Me? I'm _peachy_. After all, my brother's just landed himself in the House that I've hated since I was eleven-years-old and just stepping foot into Hogwarts. So, yeah, I'm _marvellous_.' She retorts, fixing her narrowed eyes onto Rufus before she turns back to watch her brother, who has turned to the front again.

She continues to stare at him and when she hears that the Sorting is now over, she wastes no time. She immediately stands from her seat, ignoring the delicious smells coming from the abundance of food that just appeared on the table, and makes a beeline for her brother.

'Jack, you okay?' She questions as soon as she's crouching beside him, hooking an arm around his shoulders as she leans down and presses her chin into his shoulder. She can feel the stares of everyone from the Gryffindor table, can even hear a few people chirping away about getting the "Slytherin Scum" away from the proud Gryffindor table, but she pays no attention to them - though, she does make a note to address that later, when her brother is out of the pathetic excuse of a House and into Slytherin.

She receives a small nod from him as he reaches across the table and pulls a bit of chicken wing onto his plate. Hester frowns at him as he takes a bite from it, pretty much ignoring her completely.

'Just you sit here, I'm going to deal with this, 'kay?' She mutters as she stands up straight again, pressing her palm onto the top of his head and ruffling his ash blond hair.

He does nothing else as he takes another bite from his food, though he does shift slightly to his right when another person reaches across in front of him to get a chicken wing as well.

Hester sighs softly, her brown eyes momentarily finding Sirius' and she narrows them before she turns on her heel, heading straight for the table at the top of the room. She wasn't about to go back to her table right now, not until she knew something was going to be done about her younger brother.

'Professor Dumbledore? Can I have a word?' Hester questions as she digs her hands into her robe pockets, feeling nervous all of a sudden about being in front of the Headmaster.

'Ms. Milton? What can I do for you?' Professor Dumbledore replies, beckoning her closer with a long finger. She bites her lip as she continues, moving closer to him and when she's close enough she starts to explain.

'My brother… he's different, Professor. I'm the only person he has; the only person he _trusts_, you can't put him in Gryffindor, Professor. He _needs _me.'

'I didn't put him in Gryffindor, Ms. Milton, the Sorting Hat did, and I am fully aware of your brother's history, but he will be well looked after in Gryffindor, I assure you. His fellow Housemates will look after him, as will Professor McGonagall, you have nothing to worry about.' He looks over his half-moon spectacles at her, and Hester does nothing but grind her teeth together, her jaw locking as she tries to bite back a reply. 'You're missing the Feast, Ms. Milton.'

Hester waits until her back is on the Headmaster before she rolls her eyes, walking back to the Slytherin table and sitting back down in her seat in between Christine and Rufus.

'What did Dumbledore say?'

'That I was an overprotective idiot who should just stuff her face instead of worrying about her brother.' She hisses as she casts another disapproving stare to her Headmaster before her eyes land on her brother. He's still not interacting with anyone else at his table, but he's still not panicking. She's seen how her brother reacts when he's worried or stressed, and so far, he's the most relaxed he's been in a long time. Which doesn't sit well with Hester.

'He didn't say that.' Rufus contradicts, reaching to wind an arm around Hester's shoulder. 'But if you want to believe that's what he meant, I won't stop you.'

'Why thank you, Mr. Page, that means a lot coming from the small minded prat of Slytherin,' Hester takes ahold of his hand and pulls it off her shoulder, shoving it back onto his lap and rolls her eyes when he does nothing but let out a short bark of laughter.

'So, he's to stay in Gryffindor, I take it?' Christine enquires, handing Hester a plate with a slice of her favourite chocolate cake on it. 'Hey, if _the _Professor Dumbledore tells you to stuff your face, you don't question it.'

Hester rolls her eyes as she takes the plateful of cake from Christine's hand and then picks up her spoon, digging out a decent size before taking it into her mouth with a small moan.

'Pretty much,' she finally says after she swallows down the mouthful of delicious chocolate goodness. 'He's not for moving him, and there's no way of persuading him, so yeah, I'm screwed.'

'You could always ask Aaron to talk to his dad.' Rufus offers and Hester purses her lips for a moment before she shakes her head, her eyes automatically flickering over to her brother once more but they don't stay there for long, as she feels someone else's eyes on her instead. Her eyes then find Sirius' curious gaze before he rolls his eyes and looks away from her, and Hester looks back at her food.

'No. I'm not going to ask Aaron to talk to his dad,' she starts, scooping out another spoonful of her chocolate cake, and her eyes land on Sirius again but this time, he's not looking at her. She continues to stare at him and just before she takes the spoonful of cake into her mouth, she mutters, 'I've got a better idea than that.'

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Hester gets a lot of stares as she walks with her brother to the Gryffindor tower, following the crowd because if she's honest, she has no idea where it is exactly. What can she say? She's never found a need to go near it.

They land outside the Portrait Hole and just as she turns to Jack, another voice appears.

'What are you doing here? You're a Slytherin! You must leave my Portrait immediately.'

Hester grinds her teeth together as she straighten her back from leaning down to Jack's eye level. She turns her head and her brown eyes land on the Fat Lady, who's looking at her with narrowed eyes full of suspicion.

'Listen, Tone Deaf, I'm not trying to break in, I'm saying goodbye to my brother, anymore of your cheek and your frame will be missing a canvas.'

'Well, I never!' The Portrait gasps but Hester just rolls her eyes and turns back to her brother, who has his arms crossed over his chest and is looking at her with a disapproving gaze.

'What? I'm walking you to your Common Room after _you _asked me to, and I'm not having this…' she turns to look at the Fat Lady with a sneer on her face, 'ugly, posh tart with a stick up her ass…' she turns back to Jack, ignoring the gasp of horror coming from the painting behind her, 'tell me I'm not allowed to. Now, c'mere.'

She opens her arms to him and after he gives her a final disapproving look, he moves forward until he's pressing his head against her chest and wrapping his arms around her waist.

She presses a kiss to the top of his head, lingering longer than she normally would and even when she hears footsteps approach from her side, she doesn't move away.

'Everything is going to be fine, Jacky, okay? Despite what I said earlier, Gryffindor is a fine House and everyone will look after you, 'kay? Any problems, just tell me and I'll sort it out.' She whispers before she pulls back and looks him in the eye, her heart falling when he cocks his head to the side and studies her, before he reaches up and touches his thumb to her cheek.

It's only then that Hester realises a tear has fallen.

'Merlin, it _feels_.' A voice draws her from her thoughts and she inhales sharply, her back straightening out of reflex as she slowly turns her head to the side.

'Don't you mean "it _lives_", Padfoot?'

'Jack, why don't you go inside your Common Room with the other First Years? I've got a thing or two to deal with.' She mutters and even though her brother shakes his head, she turns away from him and focuses her attention purely on the four Gryffindor boys that are now blocking her way.

'Go, Jack.' Hester orders and he huffs because he really hates it when she uses her "mother voice", but he moves to follow the First Years into the Common Room as some little boy gives the Fat Lady the password.

'Now, listen you two jackasses, I just want you to let you know that if anything happens to my brother, I'm holding you responsible.' She declares and without any further explanation, or even waiting for a response from the boys in front of her, she walks away from them, barging into their shoulders as she does, and ignoring their shouts.

With a shrug they all turn on their heels and give the password to the Fat Lady, who swings open and lets them in, but only after saying how downright _rude _that young girl was and that she hopes the four boys weren't friends with her.

They have no intention whatsoever of actually listening to Hester's orders or threat, whatever way you look at it, but when they notice the young boy sitting in a corner of the Common Room by himself, his knees pulling up to his chest and his head resting on top of them, they find themselves making their way over to the young boy, both a little curious about him and more than a little determined to make him a bit more comfortable in Gryffindor.

'It's Jack, right?' Remus questions as they come to a stop in front of him, but when they notice they we he tenses up and his eyes widen as he regards them, they take a step back from him and decide they need a better tactic.

With this in mind, Remus signals for them to sit down beside him, leaving enough space that the young boy doesn't feel cramped, but close enough to know that they're being friendly and don't really want to leave because of that.

He nods his head once, still not really lifting his head from its place on top of his knees and after biting his bottom lip briefly, Sirius decides to jump straight in.

'How're you liking Hogwarts so far? It's not too bad, eh?' He waits for a beat until the young boy sends him a small smile and a shake of his head. 'And Gryffindor isn't as bad as your sister says it is, I mean, she even _admitted _this isn't a bad House and well, your sister doesn't lie.'

'Yeah, if anything, she's brutally honest.' James adds and a moment later, Jack gives a giggle in reply nodding his head in agreement. The four boys look amongst themselves, sharing a silent conversation about how the young boy seems to be warming up to them; how _different _he is from his sister, trust wise. Maybe that's what landed him in Gryffindor, they think but they don't bother asking, knowing Jack won't have any idea on why he got put in Gryffindor exactly. After all, the Hat didn't say much in way of explanation.

And not to mention… they had yet to hear the boy say a word.

But when they look back to him, they realise he's staring at them; studying them almost with a confused expression on his face. He tilts his head when he sees their eyes on him once more.

'What?' Sirius finds himself asking and the young boy swallows before he nods his head towards the Portrait Hole and then nods it back to Sirius, before patting his knee, his arms still wound tightly around his legs.

'I think he wants to know why you're defending Hester all of a sudden.' Remus informs and Jack confirms this by vigorously nodding his head, and the four Seventh Years realise then that behind his eyes is a haze of distrust.

_Huh. _They were wrong. He wasn't different to Hester in terms of trusting; his bright blue eyes hold the same kind of uncertainty that Hester's brown ones _always _hold.

Sirius turns back to Jack, his doggish grin in place and Jack's brows furrows at it, confused by the way the older boy is staring at him. Why is he staring at him like he's just asked the best question? The question to how the universe was created; where Magic came from; as if he just asked a question that had no answer.

'Look, Jack, we know you love your sister, but to us, she's well…'

How the hell does he tell a First Year that he can't stand the very thought of his elder sister?

'Just imagine it like this, Jack, we're the light and Hester is the dark.' Remus explains and Sirius and James give a scoff, rolling their eyes at him and muttering about how very _poetic _that was, but their taunting is cut short when Jack reaches across and gently pats Remus' hand. 'Complete opposites, you see? But there's still a sort of… _understanding _between them. Understand?'

Jack nods his head eagerly once more, wides eyes because he could understand that. Hester had said something similar once about Slytherin House once. That there were good people in that House - the light; Hester, he knew this for certain and Christine and Rufus according to Hester - and bad people - the dark, who Hester had never mentioned by name - but Jack could understand that. Everything, _everyone_, has light and dark inside them, according to Hester.

But Jack. Jack could only see goodness or badness. Hester was good; Rupert was bad; these four boys… to be honest, he still wasn't sure about these four boys. At first he thought they were bad, because Hester thought they were bad, but here they were talking to him, not getting disheartened when he doesn't answer them - _not really _anyway.

'But today we've realised one new thing about your sister,' James starts. 'She loves you.'

'That much is definitely clear.' Remus adds.

'Pair that with Hester Milton's inability to take anyone's rubbish and her fierce reputation around Hogwarts, I doubt you'll have any trouble.' Sirius finishes, fixing the young boy with a kind stare and Jack's brown eyes meet his peculiar grey ones. 'And if someone gives you rubbish from this House, just comes to us and we'll deal with it for you.'

Jack tilts his head to the side with a small frown on his face at Sirius' words, before swallowing hard as a small smile finds its way onto his lips. He sucks his lower lip into his mouth for a moment before he hesitantly reaches across to pat his hand, his touch lingering just that bit longer than the one he gave Remus, and a wider smile on his lips.

He nods his head once and Sirius gives a small cough before he returns it, a simple nod of his head and the briefest of smiles flitting on his lips before it disappears completely, replaced by the nonchalance that he normally wears.

They sit with the young boy for the rest of the night, before they all decide to cave in and go to bed, and even then they lead Jack to his dorm room and make sure he gets settled. And it isn't until Sirius is stripped and changed into his pyjama bottoms, the soft red covers a pleasant feeling against his bare chest, that he realises that they did _exactly _what Hester Milton wanted them to do.

She told them that it was on their head if something happened to her brother, and they decided to walk into the Common Room and bond with him. They knew the boy didn't talk - didn't know if it was by choice or if there was something wrong with him.

He cringes.

Just thinking about it like that is enough to make him feel _awful_, but he was curious. When Sirius first saw him on the train, hiding behind Hester's back, he was dubious. The last thing he needed was another Milton running around Hogwarts; not because she was like Snape, a sleazy, small-minded coward, but because she was the complete opposite; she was self-centred, sure, but cunning and clever and was always one to thwart his and James' pranks, just to watch them get riled up.

But now, after actually _meeting_ him and getting to know him, he's got to be honest that he's definitely curious about the young boy's past.

But getting answers would mean getting close to Hester, and that was definitely something that he _did not _want.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Her brown eyes are staring into space but they keep talking; Rufus and Christine. It's the silliest things really, what they did over the holidays and what exciting or unexciting things happened to them. For example, how Rufus got caught drinking his father's favourite liquor and ended up getting grounded for the remainder of the holidays, or how Christine ended up going out with Eddie Mills who's been eyeballing her since Fifth Year and actually really enjoyed it.

Hester's only half listening though, knowing that the only reason they're rambling so much is to keep her calm and collected, because they know that if she thinks of where her brother is at the moment, she'll probably explode.

But it seems to work, even though she's not _really _listening. There's something about knowing her friends are doing this for her that makes it better; she can relate that to her brother, knows that Jack is going to be strong and okay because Hester told him Hogwarts was a good place to be; that it was better than home and well, in a sense it could still be.

Hell, it was hard to find a place _worse _than their home. At least here there was no constant arguing and having to shield her brother from it, or worse, leaving him to shield himself when she finds herself getting roped in.

Her brother was strong. She knew that. He was the _brave warrior_. She smirks a little a that. She came up with that nickname almost two years ago, and she should've known that he would've ended up in Gryffindor because of that; that's where the brave warriors go after all, none of them ever belong to Slytherin.

She also has no idea what caused her to tell the four idiots that they were responsible. Truthfully, she had thought about asking Sirius to look out for him; they were similar in ways, that she knew, and she thought she could use that to her advantage, but she decided against it. She didn't need to be in anyone's debt, let alone Sirius Black's!

But they were there, and they had just caught her crying, for crying out loud! It just seemed to slip from her lips, and it wasn't until she had rounded the corner that she realised what she had said.

But she still thinks they'll look out for her brother. They were Gryffindors for a reason, just because Jack was her brother doesn't mean they wouldn't look after him, help him if he started getting hassled, and Hester knew he'd start to get hassled.

Being Hester Milton's brother was bad enough; being Hester Milton's _Gryffindor _brother was just going to be too much.

But before she can think about that horror any further, something brings her back to her senses; something in the form of a sleazy, judging voice.

'Milton's brother a blood-traitor? Who'd have thought it.'

Her eyes land on the small group that are talking about her and Jack, and she's not surprised when she sees who's there. Snape, Avery and Yaxley.

'Sorry boys, didn't quite catch that. Speak up the next time.' Hester calls across the room to them, her infamous crooked smirk in place as she stretches her neck from side to side and stands. She walks over to stand in front of them, pulling out her wand as she does so. Her arms hang by her side as she moves her weight over to one foot and stares down at them.

After a moment or two, they slowly stand as well, not appreciating the height difference. The three of them tower over her the second they stand, with Hester coming up to just under their chins, but she doesn't flinch or move. She continues to stares up at them, that cocky smirk still in place.

'The suspense is killing me, boys, you're going to have to say something before I wet myself with my excitement.'

She rolls her eyes.

'We're just amazed at how your brother is such a blood-traitor already.' Yaxley responds and his voice is dripping with sarcasm. The other two laugh as he does and then a few chuckles sound from around the room as well, but when Hester turns her head to them and fixes them with a glare, they all fall silent. Except the three who are still chuckling, though, not as loud as they were before.

'You three really _are _the scum of Slytherin, aren't you? What's the matter boys? So unsure of your masculinity you have to insult an eleven-year-old boy? I always wonder what you three get up to in that big dormitory; must get cold during the winters...'

Chuckles sound around the room again, but Hester doesn't silence them with a glare this time, because this time, they're _for _her. She tries not to think about how fickle everyone in Slytherin seems to be and continues to focus on the three idiots in front of her.

'Can't be any worse than you sharing a bed with your traitorous, Half-Blood brother.' Avery sneers and this time she notices that Snape doesn't do anything with that statement. If anything, his eyes narrow at the mention of "Half-Blood" coming up, and Hester smirks. She forgot the little greasy git was the same as her; half-Muggle.

'I think you just insulted your boyfriend, Avery.' Hester chuckles and she notices Snape stiffen at that, before he's going straight for his wand. Hester raises hers but when Snape makes no move to hex her, she gives a sneer at him and shakes her head, lowering her wand.

'Ah, why bother? Especially when your daddy dearest could do worse than I could.' She sends him a teasing smirk before she rolls her eyes and turns her back on him, planning on heading up to the dormitory for some peace; peace from the people whispering about her and her brother; peace from Christine and Rufus, despite their good intentions; peace for _everything _and _everyone_.

But she stops in her tracks when she hears Christine and Rufus shout, and then hears the distinctive sound of a spell being deflected. She turns to see Christine and Rufus with their wands out, glaring at Snape, but she also notices Regulus with his wand out, though it's only by his side and, by the looks of things, he hasn't used it.

She sends him a small smirk to which he just rolls his eyes at, before she turns her attention back to Snape.

'You always were a little coward, weren't you _Severus_? Can see why Evans never picked you; I don't like Potter, but Merlin, at least she has a _tiny _bit of taste!'

Before he can say anything or do anything else, she turns and walks to the stairs that take her up to her dorm room, hearing Christine and Rufus - more Rufus, if she's honest - take over for her in defending both Jack and herself.

She throws herself onto the bed, lying on her back as she stares at the emerald green canopy above her, and with a gentle caress, she strokes the silver lining on her duvet covers. They're a beautiful deep emerald, like the colour on Hester's locket, but they're accented by silver lining, which is embroidered on to resemble a snake.

Hester continues to absentmindedly trace the silver snakes, but her mind is a million miles away, with only one thought in her head: _if that's how Slytherins are reacting to her brother being in Gryffindor, how are Gryffindors reacting to Jack's sister being in Slytherin?_

* * *

**_And there we have Chapter 2 finished. Sorry it took longer than I expected, but I really wanted to update before NaNo starts, so I powered through! If you're doing NaNo as well, send me a PM and I'll give you my profile so we can buddy up. And don't forget about my Facebook page (link is on my profile page) which is where I'll post updates on how writing is going and such._**

**_Please, do not forget to review! You have no idea how happy it makes me! :D_**

**_~Charlotte.x_**


End file.
